The fire which destroyed a three-storey business complex and a neighbouring house at Number 64 Village, Corentyne on Thursday, is now suspected to be arson, the fire service told police investigators yesterday.
According to a police source, the fire, which is suspected to have been deliberately set, first started in the cinema, which is located on the second floor of the building.
The source said that the findings have since been handed over to police investigators in ‘B’ Divi-sion, who will now carry out their investigation in hopes of identifying the perpetrator(s). The source highlighted that the fire service and the police will be working together on the matter.
However, the source added that based on their investigation, it seems as though a group of persons might be responsible for the fire.
Owner of the business complex, Dave Subnauth yesterday briefly told Stabroek News that he cannot begin to understand what transpired on Thursday.
He explained that a woman who operates a business on the ground floor of the building has since told him that she first heard an explosion, then saw flames. He said that a prepaid meter is attached to the building and on Thursday, the woman had bought minutes for the meter. He said she told him that it was sometime after she entered the minutes into the meter that she heard the explosion.
Subnauth, who was at the time at the police station dealing with an incident involving his brother, said that he could not give an offhand estimate of losses he suffered.
He explained that he began to renovate the building, which housed a hardware store, restaurant and cinema in 2000, and completed it in 2005. How-ever, he said, he closed the building for close to a year since he had acquired another property.
He further related that after he closed the property, he placed it on the market as he was working to liquidate his assets and move to Georgetown. He explained that two of his children attend George-town schools and as a result he wanted to move to town and be closer to them. “You got to deh with them,” the man, who is also the owner and operator of the Channel 26 television station in the upper Corentyne area, said.
Additionally, a distressed Subnauth stated that he did not suspect anyone as he stressed that he tried to maintain a good relationship with persons he came in contact with. He added that he was robbed a few times over the years and had reported those matters to the police station which led to the perpetrators facing the courts.
Investigations are continuing.
It was previously report-ed that the fire first began at the business complex, popularly known as the “Countryside Cinema,” which housed a cinema, restaurant and a hardware store, then spread to the neighbouring two-storey, fully furnished house, which had a car parked in its garage. The house is owned by an overseas-based Guyanese.
On Thursday, one resident explained that they first saw sparks coming from an electrical wire attached to the business complex and in a matter of seconds, they heard an explosion and then saw “black smoke and flames” coming from the building. The fire began just before 1:30 pm.
Residents, who were very upset at the fire service, said that the fire subsequently spread to the neighbouring house, while firefighters, who by the time had arrived on the scene, were struggling to locate a water source.
